Folding table



Oct. 8, 1940. l w. H. suTTN FOLDING TABLE Filed Aug. 29, 1938 Maan? llllllllllllllll IILIIIIII.l L|l|||||||}\h Qww Patented Oct. 8, 1940 K FOLDING TABLE William Harrison Sutton, Atlantic, Iowa Application August 29, 1938, Serial No. 227,344

3 Claims.

My invention relates to tables and particularly compact folding tables which when not in use can be packed up and stored in a small space.

Among the objects of my invention is the pro- 5 vision of a new and improved folding table wherein the legs or posts supporting the table upon the floor may be folded flat against the under side of the table.

Another object is the provision of a new and improved folding table 'which is provided with a center post and supporting feet at the bottom thereof constructed in suchk a manner that both the center post and the feet may be folded into positions parallel to the tabletop and lying fiat against it.

Still' another object is the provision of a new and improved center post folding table provided with feet at the bottom of the center post hinged and attached thereto in such a manner that by forcing the center post into a folded position ilat against the table top the feet are also drawn into a compact position against the center post.

A further object is the provision of a new and improved folding center post table provided with feet hinged to the center post and supported thereby which in-cludes a means within the een? ter post for drawing the feet upward into a folded position and which is operable to open the feet and thereafter lock them in an erected position in which position they are rigidly retained until retracted therefrom by manipulation of the oenter post.

A further object still is the provision of a new and improved folding table provided with a cen- 35* ter post and folding feet which has also included therein drawers at the side including a new and improved temporary detaining means whereby when the drawers are closed during adjustment of the table they are prevented from acciden tally sliding open.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are atu tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in myclaims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal elevation of my device in erected positionwherein a center post 50 and legs are shown by full lines in erectedposition and by dotted lines in a folded position.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a view looking upward against the bottom of the table top taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the detaining means for the table drawer.

Where folding tables have been constructed in the past resort has usually been had to tables comprising customarily four legs for supporting a table top with the legs hinged or pivoted in such a manner that they may be folded flat against the table top and so confine the table to a small space for packing it away.

It is significant that folding tables such as ma be commonly used for card playing or luncheons have not been constructed with a center leg or post. On some-occasions it is highly desirable to have the table supported by a centerpost only and in such instances the usual folding card tables with corner legs are unsatisfactory.

Then, too, when a table isprovided with a center postor leg there must also be provided feet for supporting the center post in erect posi tion extending outwardly from the bottom of the center post. In providing a folding table of this sort therefore, `not only is it necessary to provide a centerpost or table leg which will fold against the table top but it is also necessary to supply a secondary folding device which will draw the feet likewise into folded position.

In the embodiment of my invention selected for the purposes of illustration I have shown a folding table provided with a fiat top portion A, a center post or leg B for supporting the top and feet C for holding the center post in erect position.

The table is designed to be used in erected position as shown in Figure l in which position a center post extends downwardly and the feet are stretched out at the bottom and held in that position by means of substantially triangular braces or stays secured to the center post. When it is desired to fold the table a catch which holds the center post in erected position is released allowing the post to tilt into the dotted line` position shown in Figure l. When tilting, a central plunger or sleeve in the center post draws the triangular braces upward thereby pulling the feet inward into a parallel position against the post and when this is done all of the supporting members, namely, the post and the feet, lie snugly against and parallel to the table top.

The top portion here shown is provided with a reenforcing center plate it to which is secured a downwardly depending bracket l2 situated at the center at the bottom side of the table top. There is likewise provided on theunder side of post by screws 23. The hinge is so mounted as to permit the post B to be tilted to a position parallel with the flat top A of the table as shown in the dotted position B of Figure 1.

In folded position the center post is retained by means of a pair of coacting clips 24 and 25 which releasably secure the leg in its folded position. When the leg B is pivoted to an erected position perpendicular to the table top A, a spring pressed hook 26 positioned upon the center plate I0 on the side of the post opposite from the hinge 29 is adapted to engage a corresponding hook member 28 on the upper portion of the leg and so retain the leg in its erected position. When it is desired to release the hook and the leg it is necessary only to depress a finger extension 38 at the left side of the hook 26 as shown in Figure 1. l

At the lower end of the post B the feet C are secured by means of hinges 32, one on each side of the post, which are attached at a point a short distance above a bottom plate 34 attached to the end of the post. A block 31 is shown fitted into the bottom of the post for reenforcing pur poses. With hinges positioned in the manner shown in Figure l the feet C are permitted to fold upwards into a position snugly against the post B as shown in the dotted position C of Figure l. When the feet are opened into an erected position they rit snugly between the hinges 32 and the projecting shoulder of the bottom plate 34 of the post B, and an inner end 35 of each foot abuts the adjacent side of the center post to aid in positioning the feet.

When the feet C are opened into erected position it is necessary that they be secured rigidly and firmly in place in order to properly support the table. A means of so securing the feet is shown comprising stays or rods 36 acting as triangular braces between the feet and the center post. Each stay 36 is pivoted at the lower end 38 to a metallic block 48 secured to the top side of each foot. The upper end of'each stay is similarly pivoted at a point 42 to a block 44.

For attaching the center leg B there is provided an inner square plunger 48 freely slidable within the casing II. To the plunger 48 the blocks 44 are secured and when the plunger is held at its lowermost position as shown in Figure l, the stays 35 securely brace the feet C in a position for holding the post B upright. In order to allow the blocks 44 to slide up and down during the erecting or folding operation there is provided a longitudinal slot45 on each side of the casing II,

Since the plunger 43 in fact forms the support for bracing the feet C it is necessary also that the plunger be so constructed that it can be locked in erected position. To satisfy this purpose there is provided at the top of the plunger an extension 58 secured thereto by means of the screws 52. At the top of the extension there is secured a pair of parallel links 54, the lower ends of which are pivoted at 56% to the extension 58,

and the upper ends of which are pivoted at the point 58 to the lower end of the bracket I2.

In operation when it is desired to erect the table, the leg B is swung from its position B about the hinge 20 to its full line position B as shown in Figure 1. As the post is swung in this direction there is a certain amount of flexure in the joint formed by the parallel links 54, the bracket I2 and the extension 5I) so that while the position of the plunger 48 is being changed with respect to the central bracket I2 there is no binding and the plunger is permitted to freely reciprocate in a vertical direction. From the ligure it will be noted that in moving the post to an erected position the motion of the plunger 48 will be downward toward the bottom of the post and it will be forced into such a position by action of the link 54. As the plunger moves downward the blocks 44 likewise are carried downward and therefore by means of the stays 35 spread the feet C outward into the solid line position shown in Figure 1. When the feet are spread into their outermost position so that inner faces 35 thereof abut the sides of the casing II the link 54 is swung into a vertical position. At center position the pivoted part comprising the bracket, the link and the extension is at what might be termed dead center, When such is the relation of parts, hoo-k 26 clamps over the hook member 28 and holds the post in a position perpendicular to the table top. In this position no amount of pressing against any one of the feet C will tend to return either the feet or the center post into their folded positions.

When it is desired to fold the table it is necessary only torelease the spring pressed hook 26 by pressure on the extension 30 and then tilt the post'to its position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

During the 4tilting the link 54 cooperating with the pivoted bracket I2 and extension 50 is adapted to draw the plu-nger 48 upward within the casing II `and this upward motion of the plunger likewise draws the blocks 44 and the stays 46 upwards serving to retract the feet.C into the position C' parallel to the sides of the post. A clearance 60 is shown within the upper part of the left wall 'of the casing I I so that vthe inner wall thereof may satisfactorily clear the lower projecting end of the bracket I2 when the post is folded.

In addition, the folding table is provided with the system of drawers I4, one at each side, which are designed to have an outer face 'I8 thereof positioned flush with the edge 'I2 of the table top A, the drawers being provided with proper runners 14 to slide in the ways I6. At the inner end of each drawer there is provided a spring clip 18 which is bent into the form of a projection at the inner end thereof. In the center plate I0 there is provided a corresponding depression 82 within which the projection 88 may fit and a sloping approach 84 is provided for steering the projection 80 into the depression 82. Once the depression is received therein the drawer is resilie-ntly detained in a closed position and remains there while the table is being folded and put away.

I claim as my invention:

1. A folding table device comprising a table top, a depending bracket secured thereto, a center post below said bracket for supporting said top having a hollow outer casing hinged at one side to the top for folding said post against the top and a plunger within said casing movable longitudinallyT thereof and pivotally connected with said bracket, and a plurality of feet hinged to said post adjacent the bottom adapted to extend outward in an erected position to support said center post and to fold to a position parallel to the post, said post having longitudinal slots therein and supporting stays extending through said slots pivoted to the plunger and to said feet and adapted to be moved by the plunger to set the feet in erected position and in folded position in accordance with the position of said plunger.

2. A folding table device comprising a flat table top, a depending bracket secured therebeneath, a hollow square center post having a top portion thereof surrounding the bracket adapted to support said top, said post being hinged at one side for folding the post against said top and having a hook means for holding the post in erected position, a square plunger slidable within said post provided with a link connection to said bracket at a point outwardly from the under side block being slidable in its respective slot and cooperable with said other blocks to draw said feet to a folded position when the post is moved to a folded position.

3. A folding table device comprising a table top, a depending bracket secured to the underside of said top, a center post for supporting said top having a hollow outer casing hingedly secured to said top so that a top portion thereof surrounds said bracket, a plunger in said casing movable longitudinally with respect thereto and feet for said table hinged to said casing and means on said plunger for bracing said feet in erected position to support said table, said means being removable from a bracing position upon movement of the plunger, said plunger having an upward extension and a link pivoted at one end to said extension and at the other end to said bracket at a point outward from the center post hinge, said link being adapted when the post is folded relative to the top to tilt with respect to said bracket and said extension to preserve a straight line motion for said plunger with respect to the post and being adapted when the 

